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Lululemon Just Launched Its First “Bodywear” Collection – & It’s So Soft
Lululemon Just Launched Its First “Bodywear” Collection – & It’s So Soft
Lululemon has done it again: Just when we thought that the minds behind the brand couldn’t dream up softer, more sumptuous activewear and lounge pieces, they’ve come out with an inaugural bodywear collection called Wundermost.
2023-10-27 05:55
Chef Jose Andres Wins Exemption for Gas Stoves in New Restaurant
Chef Jose Andres Wins Exemption for Gas Stoves in New Restaurant
Celebrity chef Jose Andres was given an exception to use gas appliances in his new Palo Alto restaurant,
2023-05-18 09:52
Marlon Wayans reveals his child is transgender as he expresses ‘unconditional love’ for son
Marlon Wayans reveals his child is transgender as he expresses ‘unconditional love’ for son
Marlon Wayans has revealed that his son is transgender. Now, the actor and producer is opening up about his own “transition” as the parent of a trans child. In an interview on The Breakfast Club on 10 November, the White Chicks star shared that his eldest child changed their name and pronouns. “I have a daughter that transitioned into a son,” the comedian said, adding that his child now goes by the name Kai. At first, Wayans admitted that his son’s transition was difficult for him to accept. However, he plans to focus on both Kai and the lessons he’s learned as a parent in an upcoming comedy special, tentatively titled Rainbow Child. “I talk about the transition, not their transition, but my transition as a parent going from ignorance and denial to complete unconditional love and acceptance,” Wayans said. “And I think there’s a lot of parents out there that need to have that message, and I know I’m dealing with it. It was a very painful situation for me.” The 51-year-old actor went on to praise Kai as “brilliant” but admitted that he’s “still working” on addressing his son by his correct pronouns. “They know I love them, they see me trying. They’re like: ‘I’m happy,’” Wayans said. “But I gotta respect their wishes.” He explained that his greatest wish for both of his children - including his 21-year-old son, Shawn - was to “be free” and confident in who they are. “I want them to be free in spirit, free in thought, free to be themselves,” Wayans said. “The more you know yourself, the more you can govern yourself. The more you live your truth, the happier your existence.” “I’m just so proud of them for being them,” he added. Wayans shares sons Kai and Shawn with his former partner, Angela Zackery. While the two were in a long-term relationship from 1992 to 2013, they were never married. The Air star has often shared glimpses into his life as a father of two on social media. Back in September 2022, Wayans celebrated National Son Day by posting throwback yearbook photos of both Kai and Shawn. “Happy #nationalsonday Shawn and Kai,” he captioned the amusing post. “I can’t believe y’all actually smiled like this for class pictures…The f***?! I told you it would come back to haunt y’all a**es.” In May, Wayans shared a birthday tribute for Kai by posting a sweet photo of him kissing Kai on the cheek after his graduation. In the caption, the comedian shared a special message to his transgender son, thanking him for “teaching me what [it] really means” to love unconditionally. “Happiest bday my baby… daddy loves you to the moon and back,” Wayans wrote. “I’ve always asked people to love me unconditionally, thank you for teaching me what that really means. Be you! Your best you! You’re the gift and I’m wrapping paper… love love love you for life. “Excuse my ignorance, chalk it up to growth. Love you so much, thank you for making me a man. So proud,” he added, alongside a rainbow emoji. Read More People crave comfort food more during the winter season - here’s why Gordon Ramsay’s daughters praise ‘rockstar’ mom after giving birth to sixth child Top 10 hacks to beat the afternoon slump People crave comfort food more during the winter season - here’s why Gordon Ramsay’s daughters praise ‘rockstar’ mom after giving birth to sixth child Top 10 hacks to beat the afternoon slump
2023-11-14 23:49
Carlos Sainz holds on for victory in Singapore as Red Bull’s winning run ends
Carlos Sainz holds on for victory in Singapore as Red Bull’s winning run ends
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz beat Lando Norris and Mercedes’ tactical gamble in a frenetic finale to win the Singapore Grand Prix and end Red Bull’s bid to become Formula One’s ‘Invincibles’. Red Bull arrived at the Marina Bay Circuit with 14 victories from 14 rounds, but Sainz finally ended their crushing dominance with an impressive victory. Norris took second after holding off George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, who both stopped for tyres with 17 laps remaining in a gung-ho bid to take the win. But Russell and Hamilton were unable to find a way past a resilient Norris in a dramatic conclusion with the former crashing out on the final lap. Russell’s crash allowed Hamilton to complete the podium, with Charles Leclerc fourth. Max Verstappen’s record winning streak is also over after the Dutchman – who became the first driver in the sport’s history to rack up 10 straight victories at the Italian Grand Prix a fortnight ago – finished fifth. Verstappen’s lead over Sergio Perez, who finished eighth, stands at 151 points, meaning the former cannot secure his third world title at next weekend’s round in Japan. Red Bull have ruled the F1 roost all year but the world champions have been desperately off-colour at this unique 3.07-mile high-downforce circuit in the city-state. Red Bull’s sudden malaise allowed for a shoot-out between Ferrari and Mercedes and McLaren’s Norris become the first non-Red Bull winner of 2023. After capturing his second pole in as many races, Sainz led from the start with team-mate Leclerc leapfrogging Russell off the line. Hamilton suddenly found himself up two spots from fifth after he cut the chicane at the opening corner but the seven-time world champion was forced to give the places back to Russell in the other Mercedes and Norris. With overtaking virtually impossible in Singapore, Sainz was able to control the pace by backing up the pack. On lap 20, Logan Sargeant crashed into the wall, dislodging his front wing underneath his Williams. The American rookie limped back to the pits, but with pieces of debris littering the circuit, the safety car was deployed. In came the leaders for fresh tyres, with Russell and Norris able to get the jump on Leclerc. Verstappen, having started 11th, was suddenly up to second, by virtue of staying out on old rubber. Perez, who also remained out, was fourth. But when the race restarted on lap 23, both Verstappen and Perez were vulnerable with Russell wasting no time in passing Verstappen for second. Norris and Hamilton gazumped Perez and then Verstappen with the Red Bulls falling down the order. Russell was then on Sainz’s gearbox but unable to make an impression. “I want to go for this win,” Russell said. “We’re on the same page,” came the reply from the Mercedes pit wall. And on lap 45, Mercedes rolled the strategical dice by pitting both Russell and Hamilton for fresh rubber when Esteban Ocon broke down in his Alpine and a Virtual Safety Car was deployed. Russell, who dropped from second to fifth, left the pits 17.5 seconds behind Sainz, but on lap 53, he fought his way ahead of Leclerc – with Sainz eight seconds up the road. Hamilton followed his team-mate through with the black-liveried Mercedes taking chunks of time out of Sainz and Norris. With five laps remaining, Russell was crawling all over the back of Norris’ McLaren, but he could not dislodge his countryman and then on lap 62 of 62 he dramatically put his Mercedes in the wall after clipping the barrier. Sainz took the flag eight tenths clear of Norris, with Hamilton four tenths behind the McLaren driver. Norris said: “We knew it would be tough after Mercedes stopped for tyres but we held them off. I hit the same wall as George, but he copied me and did it even worse. But I feel for him – he was the fastest driver today.” After taking his 196th podium, Hamilton said: “We rolled the dice this weekend. I felt like it was a two-stop strategy and the team did an amazing job to get us up there. “It was unfortunate for George but we were pushing so hard to catch these guys.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Lance Stroll to sit out Singapore Grand Prix after huge crash in qualifying ‘You can forget about that’ – Max Verstappen rules out another win in Singapore Lance Stroll crashes into barrier at 110mph in Singapore Grand Prix qualifying
2023-09-17 22:49
The curious history of sauvignon blanc – and what to drink if you hate it
The curious history of sauvignon blanc – and what to drink if you hate it
Growing up in the early 2000s-2010s meant the rite of passage into alcohol inevitably involved terrible choices, from alcopops (RIP) to grim beers (Coors) and nasty wine. Mostly white, rarely red, while rosé that both looked and tasted like Ribena was a world away from the delicate pale provencal style we’re so au fait with now. Then as now, the cheaper the better. Location, grape variety, acidity levels – it all meant absolutely nothing. Hell, taste didn’t matter either. Slurp it fast enough and you’d barely notice a slight whiff of paintstripper on the nose or a lingering hint of vinegar on the palate. It was just your (well below) average plonk. The number one important factor was price – swiftly followed by ABV, of course. The rough budget for a bottle was the mighty sum of £3-4. A tenner was a good night out. Remember those days? It was around this time that sauvignon blanc began its world domination. It was the IT wine to buy. Rocking up to your friend’s house with a bottle in tow made you look like you knew something about wine, maybe even had great taste (despite still buying the cheapest bottle possible, of course). It was even better if it was from New Zealand – top points if it came from Marlborough, the top of the South Island, where about 70 per cent of the country’s wine is produced. Love wine but don’t know where to start? The Independent Wine Club features curated cases from small growers and expert advice on how to enjoy wine. Sign up now for free. While Gen Z seem to have broken free of British booze culture altogether, when I was at university, rosé was the go-to pre-drink before a night on the tiles. And lots of it. It’s been off the table ever since. The mere smell of it takes me right back to those heady, alcohol-drenched days. Perhaps it’s just a case of unfortunate timing for my age group – victims of the wine’s popularity surging at the height of early-Noughties boozing culture. But why did sauvignon blanc become so popular 15 years ago? ​​Emily Harmen, wine consultant at Firmdale Hotels and Vina Lupa, says it’s “simply because when people get into wine, they usually like wines that are quite fruity”. Sauvignon blanc offers these fruity notes, as well as freshness. It’s famed for its notes of crisp asparagus, green pepper and often a grassy or herbaceous flavour too. High acidity makes it very dry. The New Zealand sauvignon blanc vines were planted in the Seventies, and its arrival on the British scene a few decades later served as a pointed change in taste from the overly oaked Chardonnays and sickly syrupy rieslings (the latter is now cool again; more drinkable and less sweet) that were popular at the time. Sam Tendall, co-founder of online wine shop Smashed Grapes agrees, and says sauvignon blanc’s prominent rise is owed to consumers wanting “lip-smackingly thirst-quenching drinks… that are naturally high in acidity with tropical fruit flavours”, and wines from Marlborough had that sort of fruitiness people were looking for. It wasn’t just in wine that tastes were changing, either. “This taste shift was mirrored in other drinks such as the boom of gin and flavoured tonics, or tropical IPAs in the beer world, which are all high in acidity and fruity,” Tendall adds. It quickly became Britain’s most popular white wine choice, both in supermarkets and restaurant wine menus, whether that’s by the glass or bottle, or even served as the house wine. Lauren Denyer, an educator at the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET), says that along with New Zealand’s “tropical fruit, such as passion fruit and mango, which many drinkers find very appealing”, it’s also its “lightness which make it easily quaffable”. However popular it may be, it can still divide opinion in the upper echelons of the wine world, especially among the more commercial labels that everyone is familiar with (Oyster Bay, we’re looking at you). Sauvignon blanc grapes originate in France, where the premium wines, Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé (from the highly regarded French regions of the same names) are still made. These are usually seen as a step up from your average savvy B, despite being made with the same grapes, and not just because they’re more expensive, but because they’re more complex. A lot of the Kiwi sauvignon blanc’s popularity is down to marketing. They do it very, very well to us Brits, who largely bought NZ’s green image (although there’s nothing green about shipping wine to the other side of the world). The price point of New Zealand’s offering also made them appealing. “People probably know the New Zealand sauvignon blanc more as it’s a more accessible price point… wines from the Loire region are more expensive because it’s a more challenging climate to grow wine, so you produce less,” explains Harmen. Its popularity knew no boundaries during the Noughties. So much so that wine makers couldn’t grow enough of the grapes. According to the NZ Winegrowers association’s annual 2020 report, between 2003 and 2015, sauvignon blanc vine planting increased five-fold to keep up with the demand. Although now, as climates warm up around the world leading to more extreme and freak weather, experts think it’s only a matter of time until this changes the wines beyond their signature characteristics. This has seen as recently as February when New Zealand felt the force of cyclone Gabrielle, which saw unprecedented amounts of rain and devastating effects including flooding some vineyards and burying others in silt on the North Island, just ahead of harvesting. In 2021, a harsh frost combined with an early budburst meant the crop yields were down by 30 per cent. The knock-on effect is already being felt, along with the rise in inflation and cost of living crisis, as Tendall says, in the wider market: “Sauvignon blanc is going up in price and big branded pinot grigio has stayed at the value end, so with the cost of living we are seeing a small decline in sauvignon popularity.” The pandemic has also contributed to a change in tastes and buying habits. Some people stopped drinking altogether, while others used the time to nurture their passion for it. As shopping in person became harder, subscription boxes and independent online sellers introduced lesser known varieties to the market. Dayner explains: “Prompted by the pandemic, drinking the same wines regularly became less desirable”, and instead, people were “increasingly willing to try a wider range of wines and sales of wine for home consumption increased hugely as drinkers looked to mix things up a little bit”. Harman doesn’t see any indication that the guests of the hotels she consults for (which are mostly high end including London’s Ham Yard Hotel and The Soho Hotel) are changing their mind on sauvignon blanc. However, she deals in artisan, handcrafted and mostly organic wines, rather than the commercial wines we buy in supermarkets for less than £10. Instead, what Harman is seeing more of is some producers experimenting with skin contact styles, and more natural varieties, a style which sauvignon blanc grapes lend themselves well to. “A producer in Australia called Tom Shobbrook makes a wine called giallo (yellow in Italian) which is one of the benchmark examples of the more experimental natural wines,” she explains. Skin contact sauvignon blanc feels a world away from my entry level days into savvy B, which were so atrocious that I steered clear of white wine for many years. It was the reappearance of viognier on menus that enticed me back – in particular an organic viognier from South Australia’s Yalumba vineyard. But if you really can’t hack it, I asked the experts for their advice, and these are the wines to drink if you don’t like Sauvignon blanc: 1. Verdejo All three experts mentioned this wine. “From Spain’s Rueda region, it’s the country’s favourite white wine, loved for its brisk acidity and vibrant fruit. It’s now starting to become more popular in the UK market,” says Denyer. 2. Picpoul For something more mineral, that’s lighter and fresh, Harmen suggests Picpoul, which is quickly growing in popularity again. Denyer adds that “although grown somewhere that can get extremely hot, the wines are super-fresh with apple, lemon and hints of peach on the palate”. 3. Bacchus Denyer says: “It’s a grape variety that is originally a German cross. It has all the appeal of Sauvignon Blanc and a plus point is that the wine does not have to travel far. You can even get sparkling versions, great for summer picnics and gatherings.” 4. Albariño “Also from Spain, the main grape in Vinho Verde and is a cracking patio wine, jam-packed with the lemon sherbert refreshment sauvignon blanc drinkers love,” says Tendall. 5. Austrian Grüner Veltliner “Forgot its old reputation of tasting like antifreeze, it’s full of those classic gooseberry flavours long associated with top Marlborough varieties,” says Tendall. 6. Trebianno “This Italian white has delicate aromatics with white flowers, it’s quite savoury with more peachy fruit flavours,” says Harmen. For more white wine inspiration that’s not sauvignon blanc read our review of the best dry whites here Read More The Independent Wine Club best cases 2023: Wine from small growers Win a mixed wine case, perfect for pairing with food Uncorked: How do I keep my wine cool at a picnic? The Independent Wine Club best cases 2023: Wine from small growers Win a mixed wine case, perfect for pairing with food Uncorked: How do I keep my wine cool at a picnic?
2023-07-01 19:24
From Brad Pitt and Ariana Grande to Andrew Garfield: 10 best-dressed celebrities at Wimbledon Finals
From Brad Pitt and Ariana Grande to Andrew Garfield: 10 best-dressed celebrities at Wimbledon Finals
From bold suits and stylish dresses to elegant watches and hats, celebrities who attended the Wimbledon Finals on July 16 donned their best fits
2023-07-17 17:55
Customs seizes box of giraffe poop at Minnesota airport
Customs seizes box of giraffe poop at Minnesota airport
Customs workers at a Minnesota airport discovered a traveler had brought a unique souvenir in her luggage: Giraffe feces.
2023-10-07 17:26
Dacor Launches Expanded Transitional Collection and Built-In Refrigerator Lineup During A&D Market Days
Dacor Launches Expanded Transitional Collection and Built-In Refrigerator Lineup During A&D Market Days
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 20, 2023--
2023-06-20 21:15
'Last Stop Larrimah' review: Murder in a small town gets outrageous in this shocking true crime doc
'Last Stop Larrimah' review: Murder in a small town gets outrageous in this shocking true crime doc
The titular town of Last Stop Larrimah seems a setting ripe for situation comedy. It's
2023-10-08 17:52
Camila Mendes reveals concealer is her beauty must-have
Camila Mendes reveals concealer is her beauty must-have
Actress Camila Mendes has revealed a good quality concealer is her most essential beauty product - and she's learned a new trick to apply it properly
2023-09-12 18:29
MSCHF Crocs: Big Yellow Boots summer is apparently here
MSCHF Crocs: Big Yellow Boots summer is apparently here
First came the Big Red Boots, a cartoonish pair of shoes that invoked a lot
2023-06-23 19:29
Proposal to end Senate standoff over military promotions and abortion policy goes nowhere
Proposal to end Senate standoff over military promotions and abortion policy goes nowhere
Hopes have been dashed for an imminent end to a Senate standoff that has delayed the promotions of more than 200 military officers and could delay the confirmation of President Joe Biden’s pick for chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
2023-06-13 04:57